This was a comprehensive hip hop, film and urban culture blog written entirely by an information junkie/graphomaniac Bostonian ex emcee/film student/record and video store manager/graf writer/streetballer called Dart Adams.

Monday, May 14, 2007

What If?..Hip Hop Edition AKA Just Thinkin' Out Loud

Here is a collection of random stand alone hip hop questions to get heads thinking...to some of you, these questions are senseless to others of us, they could've changed the entire history of the culture of hip hop...Read on and discuss amongst yourselves:

What if Sylvia Robinson signed the Cold Crush Brothers as the first group to make a rap record?What if Russell Simmons never started Rush Management?What if Ad Rock didn't like LL Cool J's demo tape when he heard it at Rick Rubin's apartment?What if "Style Wars" and "Wild Style" were never made?What if Disco King Mario and not Afrika Bambaataa became famous?What if UTFO's "Roxanne, Roxanne" never got played on the radio/flopped hard?What if Southern hip hop hit big back in the 80's?What if Run DMC got to leave Profile for Def Jam after "Raising Hell"?What if DJ Hollywood got to make a record back in the days?What if Rakim wasn't picked to record with Eric B. ?What if Afrika Bambaataa, Joe Robie, Arthur Baker never made "Planet Rock"?What if Henry Chalfant, Martha Cooper and Charlie Ahearn had never come into contact with Hip Hop culture?What if Original Concept blew up instead of Public Enemy?What if N.W.A. never broke up?What if MTV never played Run DMC's "Rock Box"?What if Special Ed's "Youngest In Charge" and "Legal" albums actually went gold or platinum?What if Too Short was from New York and not the Bay Area?What if KRS One was from the Bay Area and not New York?What if the Ultramagnetic MC's never existed?What if Jay-Z got a solo deal back in 1993?What if Russell Simmons would've signed Nas to Def Jam back in 1993?What if Scott La Rock and Paul C. didn't die?What if MC Hammer never dissed Run DMC in his first video?What if 2nd II None did an ill freestyle on that episode of Yo! MTV Raps?What if Vanilla Ice was a serious emcee with skills and respect of the culture of hip hop?What if 2Pac never went to jail or started Thug Life?What if EPMD never put anyone on and never broke up?What if Guru (Gangstarr) never left Boston?What if DJ Premier never left Texas?What if Ras Kass and Chino XL's debuts both went platinum?What if Grand Wizard Theodore never discovered the stratch?What if Tragedy (Khadafi) never got locked up?What if Uncle Jam's Army was able to get a record deal?What if LL Cool J got Knowledge Of Self after "Radio" came out?What if hip hop albums were given no creative or content restrictions (like mixtapes)?What if emcees/groups from Houston, New Orleans and Memphis got signed by majors back in the day?What if Biz Markie wrote his own rhymes?What if Large Professor's "The LP" actually came out?What if Pete Rock & CL Smooth didn't break up?What if The Lox signed with Loud Records instead of Bad Boy?What if Big Punisher lost mad weight and lived after "Yeah Baby" was released?What if Andre Harrell never fired Sean Combs from his position at Uptown/MCA Records?What if Biggie Smalls released his first album with Uptown/MCA in 1993?What if Slick Rick never went to jail?What if the Native Tounges never broke up?What if J Swift stayed on with The Pharcyde?What if Mic Geronimo's "The Natural" was as successful as "Ready To Die" was?What if AZ went platinum with "Doe Or Die"?What if Organized Konfusion blew up?What if Organized Noise was from New York?What if the Bomb Squad was from Atlanta?What if no one bit N.W.A. and Das Efx's styles?What if The Fugees "The Score" LP flopped?What if Onyx never switched their style up?What if Enjoy Records and Sugar Hill Records survived the 80's?What if Leaders Of The New School didn't break up after "T.I.M.E."?What if Raymond Scott (Benzino) never became involved with the daily operations of The Source?What if the Boot Camp Click and the Wu Tang Clan switched places?What if the Geto Boys got signed by Def Jam?What if the Beastie Boys never left Def Jam for Capito Records?What if MC Ren left NWA to go solo instead of Ice Cube?What if The Source gave Company Flow's "Funcrusher Plus" and Latryx's "Latryx: The Album" both 5 mics?What if the Murder Inc. (Jay-Z/DMX/Ja Rule) album had been made?What if The Commission (Big/Jay-Z/Charli Baltimore) album had been made?What if Nas came through to some of Jay's "Reasonable Doubt" sessions to record?What if Big & Pac squashed their beef and subsequently both lived?What if OutKast switched places with the Goodie Mob?What if Pac was able to get out of his Death Row contract and release his "One Nation" album with the Boot Camp Click?What if the Rakim and Big Daddy Kane wax battle actually occurred?What if Rawkus had signed Common, Eminem, and Kanye West when they had the chance?What if Ghostface Killah and Raekwon got along with Biggie in the first place?What if KDAY was never disbanded?What if The Roots "Do You Want More ?!!!?" album went platinum?What if the Ice T "Cop Killer" controversy of 1992 had never happened?What if the Telecommunications Act had never passed?What if Cash Money Records stayed underground?What if The D.O.C. never lost his voice?What if Redman stayed a DJ?What if Derek B, London Posse, Hijack and the Demon Boyz (UK) blew up in the States back in the day?What if Kool Moe Dee (under contract with Sugar Hill) recorded with Rick Rubin instead of T La Rock (first Def Jam record)?What if Marley Marl didn't fall out with Cold Chillin' (and eventually) the Juice Crew?What if Canibus signed with RZA instead of Wyclef?What if Ant Banks and DJ Quik did more production for prominent east coast rappers/groups?What if the Hieroglyphics Crew became the west coast's answer to the Wu Tang Clan?What if journalists had to take a "hip hop knowledge" test and become certified before they could critique the music/culture?What if potential producers/DJ's and rappers/emcees had to take a "hip hop knowledge" test and become certified before they could perform or record music?What if independent hip hop videos could get played on Viacom networks?What if there were no sampling laws?What if I knew WHEN to stop typing out all of these goddamn questions?

One.

Originally posted on AllHipHop.com, Spitkicker.com, and BostonHipHop.com on December 23rd, 2006. This is the last one...I swear! One.

2 comments:

If UMC woudlnt have formed and kool keith never rapped some of the most unique albums wouldnt have been released, Dr. Octagon, Analog Bro's, Dr. Dooom and the likes.

--What if Big & Pac squashed their beef and subsequently both lived?

Ive been typing out a post on my blog dealing with part of that question. About BIG and what i feel might have happened if he didnt die. Its not posted on my blog yet due to my lack of writing skills at times. But im hoping to have finished soon while still sounding coherent

Vital Information About Dart

If you don't know who I am by now then Google my previous work from 2006 to the present day. I'm one of the people your favorite writers, journalists & bloggers ask for help or information. I'm also the dude wack writers & fake journalists fear more than Spell/GrammarCheck.